from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Probably alteration of British dialectal scaddle, to run off in fear, from scaddle, wild, thievish, skittish, from Middle English scathel, wild, harmful, probably of Old Norse origin; akin to skadha, to hurt, scathe.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Probably an alteration of British dialect scaddle ("to run off in a fright"), from the adjective scaddle ("wild, timid, skittish"), from Middle English scathel, skadylle ("harmful, fierce, wild"), of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse skaði ("harm"). Possibly related to the Greek σκέδασις (skedasis, "scattering"), σκεδασμός (skedasmos, "dispersion"). (US) Possibly related to scud or scat.

Examples

And since, in his fright, he didn't "skedaddle" fast enough to suit them, they threw beets and all sorts of vegetables at him, vegetables that had been ripe a very long time.

That famous "skedaddle," as it was the fashion to call it, he frankly admitted, in his official report, began among the men of his brigade, and the "disorderly retreat" speedily became a humiliating rout, which only a few cool-headed officers, such as

* It may be interesting to note here that in all probability the word "skedaddle," about which there was some controversy during the war, came from the Virginia negro's use of "skaddle," which is a corruption of "scatter."

* 1 It may he interesting to note here that in all probability the word "skedaddle," about which there was some controversy during the war, came from the Virginia negro's use of "skaddle," which is a corruption of "scatter."

Their thanks was to kill both him and his dog and then skedaddle back to Mexico, which refuses to hand over murderers to the US until we promise not to mete out the same punishment to them that they meted out to their victims.